


Twin Fools Journey

by IWroteAFanficOnce



Category: Persona 3
Genre: High School, Multi, what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-01-04 10:58:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1080218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWroteAFanficOnce/pseuds/IWroteAFanficOnce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A retelling of the events of Persona 3 featuring BOTH protagonist. Can the Arisato twins survive their first year of Gekkoukan? Will there bond be able to survive the turmoil of High School drama? Not to mention having to battle these things called shadows during the mysterious Dark Hour!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They were so tired. So incredibly tired. But they had a job to do, a promise to keep really.

Step by step they shouldered each other up those steps. It pained them TORTURED tortured them.. But they pressed on for the sake of the promise they wanted to keep. With one last step they reached the top of the staircase and with shaky hands pushed open the door to the the crisp spring time air. The duo smiled at each other as they hobbled their way over to a few benches.

" We made it." The brunette said with a smile, her breathing very heavy.

"Yeah." The blue haired boy returned her smile. "Hopefully the others will be here soon."

The two laughed softly to themselves as they nestled closely to each other as they tried to stay away. It was a battle they were losing. Two voices called out to them. One soft evenly paced. The other tough and ragged. They seemed so far off, like in a distant dream...

-

-

[4/6/09]

Tear up your fear. The end is coming near. Spit it out like a spear. I'll burn your dread!

The nearly empty train clacked along as it neared its final stop. It was running extremely late as a result of a delay, a problem with the rails, it was unavoidable. A blue haired boy stood out from the other passengers as his nearly vacant stare remained focused on the outside world as his destination drew closer.

Next to him, snoozing merrily as she rested her head on his shoulder was a girl with auburn hair drawn back into a ponytail.

"Next stop, Iwatodai. Next stop, Iwatodai." A disembodied and probably automated voice echoed throughout the train.

"Hey," The blue haired boy nudged the sleeping girl rousing her from her sleep. "We're here."

The girl gave a small yawn as she stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes. "Finally!" She gave a bright smile. "I can't wait to see our new rooms." The boy returned her smile and for the most part remained silent but he did however, ruffle her hair a bit. "Broooo, don't mess up my hair."

The boy gave a small chuckle as the train slowed to a halt. "Let's go." He smiled and his sister smiled as she nodded with glee.

Collecting their effects the siblings exited the train to the chilling night air. It was almost midnight. The pulled out their itinerary and took note that it was nearly midnight. They were supposed to arrive hours ago, they hoped the dorm head wouldn't be too upset.

As they made their first steps out of the station the clock ticked down to midnight and a chill ran down their spines. An empty silence fell as the world around them became tinted green as people around them had become frozen in place as their bodies had become black coffins.

"W-what's going on?!" The brunette stammered as she hood behind her brother.

The brother, who had somehow remained perfectly calm, looked around. "I don't know..." He fiddled with his .mp3 player, finding it unresponsive he clicked his tongue and let out a sigh. "We should at least head to the dorms."

His sister nodded frantically as her brother led the way as she clutched his jacket. Though the two did not fully understand what had happened they couldn't deny that this strange world did hold an air of familiarity.

They walked the eerie streets and met with no one for everyone seemed to have been transformed into these mysterious coffins. There were no lights and there were no sounds. Only emptiness.

Finally they reached their dorms, their new home for the next year. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you.” A voice called in a soft and eerie tone.

The pair flinched as they took note of a boy standing in striped pajamas. he couldn’t have been more than ten years old. Why was he here, in a high school student dorm?

“Now if you want to proceed,” The boy snapped his fingers and gestured to a red notebook that appeared on the receptionist desk. “please sign your name there.It's a contract. Don't worry, all it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff.”

The pair exchanged a glance before letting out a sigh of relief. He was probably just the person who was to receive them. Not a big deal, but still quite odd that Gekkoukan had hired someone so young. With a unified they shrugged and wrote their name and signed. The boy, Minato Arisato. The girl, Minako Arisato.

The boy smiled with knowing the contract was now complete. “Twins? That’s quite peculiar. You two must be close.” The boy gave a low chuckle as he looked between the two face, so similar but yet so very unique. “No matter, no one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes.” The boy smiled once more as he seemed to turn into nothing, becoming one with the shadows. “...and so it begins.” His voice echoed.

Minato swallowed hard as a chill ran down the siblings spine. “Who’s there?” A voice called. This time female. The twins flinched as their eyes caught sight of a panicking girl dressed in pink. With a quick movement her hand went for something at her hip. The twins reacted, instead of retreating they moved to attack. It was 2-on-1, the odds were in their favor.

“Takeba, wait!” A second female voice commanded. It was an older woman with long flowing red hair. The lights flickered and the world came back to life. A sweet smile appeared on the older woman’s face. “I didn’t think you’d arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I’m one of the students that live in this dorm.”  She welcomed them, her tone rich and alive with elegance.

“Who are they?” The girl in pink spoke, glancing at them from the corner of her eye. “

“Transfer students.” She responded simply. “It was a last minute decision to assign them here. We just barely had room for them but, they’ll eventually be moved to their respective dorms.”

“Sorry...” Minato replied sheepishly as he scratched his head. “We ran into a few complications.” The trains was a given excuse but he had no idea how to explain the the coffins and everything else.

“...is it okay for them to be here?” What was that tone? Disgust? They had only just met.

“I guess we’ll see.” The red haired woman gave the twins a once over before gesturing to the girl in pink. “This is Yukari Takeba. She’ll be a junior this spring, just like you.”

“...Hey.” She said weakly, still put off by the two.

Minato waved in response, not entirely sure how to deal with the girl. His sister on the other hand...

“Hey,” Minako spoke up, her cheeks huffed out. “Why do have a gun?”

“Huh?” Taken aback by her words Yukari fumbled over her own. “Um, well...it’s sorta a hobby...Well, not a hobby, but...”

Mitsuru cleared her throat, casting attention on herself. “You know how it is these day...It’s for self-defense.” She explained calmly. “It’s not a real gun, of course.”

“Okay...” Minako said, still eyeing the gun on Yukari’s hip, not entirely dissuaded.

“Anyway,” Mitsuru continued. “It’s getting late, so you should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hall.” She gestured to Minato. “And yours is on the third floor, right above your brothers. Your things should already be there.”

“I’ll show you the way.” Yukari said as she turned on her heels. “Follow me.”

The twins followed in near silence as they looked around the dorm, taking in its essence and making comments. They reached the second floor and soon the first room on their stop.

“This is it.” Yukari gestured to the name plate on the side of the door. “Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it’s right at the end of the hall. oh yeah, make sure you don’t lose your key, or you’ll never hear the end of it...So, any questions?” Yukari tried to smile, but it betrayed her. Her eyes clearly read that she didn’t want to deal with any.

“What’s that contract for?” Minato asked raising a hand.

Yukari raised a brow in confusion. “What contract?”

The twins exchanged a glance. “Then, does that kid live here too?”

“What kid?” Another confused look. “What are you talking about? ...C’mon it’s not funny. Yukari gave a nervous laugh. The twins could only helplessly look at each other and shrug. Yukari gathered herself and cleared her throat. “Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?”

They both moved to speak. Was she asking about the strange coffins and everything else? Did she know about that strange world they experienced?

“You know what-” Yukari quickly spat. “Nevermind. It seems you two are alright.” She smiled again, it was the first genuine one she had given them. They returned one in kind. She took note of the way Minato’s, the way he looked at her and directly into her eyes. A little heat rose in her cheeks. “I-I should probably show your sister to her room now.” She took a few steps before glancing over her shoulder. “I’m sure you both still have other questions, but let’s save them for later, okay? Good night.

Minato pushed open the door to his room. Everything was accounted for; his desk, his computer, his book shelf and various other knick-knack he owned. He flopped onto his bed and let out a heavy sigh. They had a long year ahead of them. He could feel the blanket of sleep preparing to take him but was quickly roused by the vibration of his phone. He didn’t need to look at the name. There was only one person it could be from.

>> So? What do you think?

<< About the dorm? It’s nice. The people sure are interesting.

>> Tell me about it. That one girl rubs me the wrong way. ):<

<< haha Come on, she’s a little cute.

>> Bro, NO!

Minato laughed to himself. Minako was always like that. No girl was ever good enough for him. He continued reading on.

>> But yeah...I think it’ll be interesting.

<< Yeah. We can do this.

>> Yeah! Goodnight big bro xoxo

Minato smiled again as he sat his phone on his desk. They could do this, as long as they had each other. They had been through so much already. What was high school compared to their relationship?

 


	2. Chapter 2

[4/7/09]

Minako dozed soundly as the sun began to peek through the curtains. And by dozed I meant she slept tangled in her sheets, her limbs sprawled about with her mouth gaping and a small trail of drool running down the corner of her cheek.

A knock came at the door, instantly rousing the doing girl. “Hey are you awake?” Yukari called from the other side of the door.

“huh, what?” Minako replied delirious.

“Don’t tell me you just woke up...” Defeat was heavy in Yukari’s voice. “You’re going to be late.”

“Late...” The word slowly sunk in, then all at once Minako understood her situation. “Oh noooooo!” She wailed as she threw off her covers and hopped out of bed. “I’m going to be late! I going to be...noooo.”

Yukari let out a heavy sigh as she listened to Minako thud about clumsily. “Oh well I’m going to wake your brother up. Don’t take too long.” She spoke as she turned her back to the door. “Not even a full day and they’re already causing trouble. Hopefully the brother will be different.”

Yukari made her way to the end of the hall on the second floor. She was about to knock on the door to Minato’s room when the door swung open revealing the blue hair to already be dressed and ready for school. Noticing Yukari his lips tugged into a gentle smile. “Good morning.”

“G-good morning.” She stumbled over her words in surprise. “I see you’re already dressed to go.”

“Let me guess...” Minato looked absently at the ceiling, he could faintly hear the sound of water. “My sister isn’t ready is she?”

“Nope.” Yukari replied flatly with a roll of her eyes. “It’s the first day of school. How could she forget.”

Minato gave a small chuckle. “She’s always been like that. Don’t worry too much though.” He smiled and made their way for the stairs.

“We can’t just leave her though! She’ll have no idea where to go.” Yukari protested. Sure she didn’t know much about the girl, but she was a little offended that her brother was so prepared to leave her.

“Sorry I’m late!” Came a shout as Minako came LEAPING down the stairs and rushing to catch up with Yukari and her brother. With a quick brush of her skirt the auburn hair smiled. “Ready to go?”

Yukari looked at Minako in a mix of shock and awe. The girl was dressed and ready to go and not a bit of her was disheveled. Her hair was neatly done up in a ponytail and accessorized with hairclips. Her uniform was spotless and even her bow was perfect. She was beautiful. “...How did you?”

“Told you not to worry.” Minato smiled. “Shall we?”

Yukari looked between the twins but could only shrug. They were going to make for an interesting year.

-

-

“So, that’s it.” Yukari pointed out the window as the train trudged along. In the distance a school slowly came into view. “See? There it is.”

Minako was the first one to look and quickly approached the window. “Bro! Look! Look!” Her voice was filled with excitement as she pointed out the window, a twinkle in her eye. She earned a few strange looks from her actions, but the girl was too excited to care.

Minato huffed out a smile. “I see it.”

The train ride quickly came to an end and soon they found themselves walking the grounds of Gekkoukan. “Well, this is it. We're here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it.” There was that smile again. A genuine smile from Yukari. Minato couldn’t tell what caused his smile that followed, the school or Yukari.

“It’s so big.” Minako said as she glanced over the ground, it seemed to just keep going and going. They took in a deep breath, the first of the semester. They waved to passing students as they entered the foyer and found their lockers.

“You two okay from here?” Yukari asked somewhat in a hurry. “You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left.” She gestured down a narrow hallway to the side. “...And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?”

The twins shook their heads in unison. Weird.

“Okay.” Yukari waved. “Guess I’ll see you later.” She hadn’t made it two steps before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Hey...about last night...Don’t tell anyone what you saw, okay? ...See ya later.”

They both wore confused expressions. Which part of last night? The strange coffins or that she had a gun? They doubted anyone would believe them anyway. They shrugged it off and made their way for the faculty office.

As soon as they walked in a teacher in a pinkish-brown jacket took note of them. “Oh, are you the new students.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Minako said with a smile while her brother gave a simple nod.

The teacher thumbed through a few sheets of paper. “Minato and Minako Arisato...11th grade, correct?” The two nodded in confirmation. “Wow, you’ve lived in a lot of different places!” The two gave a weak laughs. It was true. They had been moved around a lot throughout their childhood. “Let’s see...in 1999, that was ten years ago.”

Unknown to the teacher, Minako had begun to bite her lip while Minato stiffened a bit. This was the part where teachers got to that bit of information.

“Your parents-” The teacher inhaled sharply. There it was. “I’m sorry...I’ve been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand.”

The Arisato twins were extremely close. But it wasn’t because their childhood was always rainbows and playtime. Quite the opposite really. Roughly 10 years ago they had been in the Tatsumi Port Island. In the middle of the night while driving along Moonlight Bridge...there was an accident. Neither one of them could remember the details. All they remembered was waking up in a hospital bed and being told that their parents had died. A miracle that the two of them survived. Since then they were moved between relatives who tried to care for them. More often than not they were treated unkindly. In the end it looked like the twins only had each other.

The teacher cleared her throat, sensing the atmosphere had grown tense and wanting to change the subject. “I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school.” She smiled at them.

“Nice to meet you!” They both smiled and bowed.

“Wow, such enthusiasm.” Toriumi replied, more to Minako than Minato. The sisters cheery disposition was clearly not evenly distributed between the two of them. “Have you seen the classroom assignments? You’re in 2-F, that’s my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. the Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me.”

 

In the auditorium the Arisato sibling found themselves sitting side by side in a sea of other students, perks of having the same last name. On stage, the principal was currently giving a speech. A speech that no one seemed to really care for. Minato had even gone so far as too putting on his headphones, much to his sisters protest.

“Psst...hey...” Minato felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he found another student trying to get his attention. “You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you walking together. Hey, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?”

Minato gave the boy a once over as he pondered the question, he looked plain. His thoughts turned to Yukari and her possible boyfriend. She had never mentioned one in the short time he knew her so it seemed unlikely, but at the same time he felt that there had to be a guy who made sure to sweep her off her feet before anyone else did...or was she the type of girl that was single yet had boys constantly falling at her feet. He honestly didn’t know for sure...suppose he could tell the truth.

“She does.” Or he could lie.

“Bro!” Minako said just above a whisper as she glared at her brother.

“Man, I knew it...” The student sounded defeated. “I mean, why wouldn’t she? ...Wait, how well do you know her?”

Minato didn’t reply. Only smiled as he turned around in his chair.

“I hear talking!” Another teacher spoke up. “I believe it’s someone in Ms. Toriumi’s class...”

“Be quiet!” Ms. Toriumi said shushing them. “You’re going to get me in trouble!”

Minako did her best to cover her giggle. “Already starting trouble bro.”

-

-

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. They met all of their teachers and were simply given a list of things they’d need for the year. Standard first day stuff. Minato had begun packing his things when another student approached him.

“S’up, dude? How’s it goin’?” The student wore his blazer open and a baseball cap on his head. Weren’t all of those against the uniform regulations?

“um...who are you?” Minato cocked his head to the side.

“I’m Junpei Iori. Nice to meet you!” Apparently he was keen on becoming friends. “I transferred here when I was in the eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein’ the new kid...So I wanted to say, ‘hey.’ ...See what a nice guy I am!”

Minato gave a stifled laugh that turned into a smile. “Thar’s Junpei. I’m Minato.” He said introducing himself simply.

“Hey, it’s Yuka-tan!” Junpei announced as a figure of pink entered Minato’s field of vision. “I didn’t think we’d be in the same class again.”

Yukari sighed heavily. “At it again, huh? I swear, you’ll talk to anyone if they’ll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?”

“What?” Junpei sounded genuinely hurt. “I’m just bein’ friendly.”

“If you say so.” Yukari rolled her eyes before she turned to Minato. “Anyway, looks like we’re in the same homeroom...”

“It must be fate.” Minato gave her a innocent smile. A part of him enjoyed teasing her.

“Fate? Yeah, right.” Yukari gave a small laugh. However, her laugh couldn’t hide the slight blush of her cheeks. “Still, I’m a little surprised.”

“Um, hellooooo” Junepi called attention back to himself. “Are you forgetting I’m in this class too?” Junpei huffed out his chest, proud of his presence. “By the way,” his gaze turned to Minato. “I heard you came to school with Yukari and some other cutey this morning. What’s up with that? C’mon, gimme the dirt!”

“Who’s a cutey?” a fourth voice joined in.

“Oh my god, she’s here!” Junpei squealed. Literally squealed. “Dude, you’re a chick magnet!” He patted Minato on the back before turning back to the red haired girl. “Hello gorgeous, I’m Junpei.”

Minako gave a shy laugh as she smiled. “I’m Minako! Nice to meet ‘cha Junepi.”

Junpei could feel his heart melting. “Dude, how did you score two cuties on your first day? You’re a master player!”

“W-what are you talking about?!” Yukari seemed offended. NO ONE had been scored and NO ONE here was a player. “We live in the same dorm and SHE’S his sister!”

Junpei mouthed a silent ‘oh’.

“There’s NOTHING going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it?! Now you have me worried...” Yukari sighed. Just what she needed, rumors on the first day of school. “Hey, you didn’t say anything to anyone about...you know what, did you?”

The two shook their heads.

“Okay good.” Yukari let out a breath of relief. They seemed to know how to keep secrets. That was good. “Seriously...don’t say anything about last night, alright?” She may have spoken in a not so hushed tone as Junpei was now giving the trio strange looks. “Wh-what?”

“L-last night?” Junpei stammered, his mouth dry as his mind burned with images.

“W-wait a minute! Don’t get the wrong idea!” Yukari put up her hands in protest. “I just met him yesterday, and there is absolutely NOTHING between us. Geez...I’ve gotta go.” There was that Yukari sigh again. “I’ve got something to take care of for the archery team.” She made her way toward the classrooms exit. “But, you better not start any rumors!” She jabbed a finger in their direction, more specifically Junpei. The three of them shared a laugh.

“Who cares? No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She’s so paranoid...” He waved Yukari's’ threat off. “But hey! It’s you guys’s first day here, and people are already talkin’ about you! Believe it or not, she’s actually pretty popular. You da man!” Minato made a silent note that his suspicion of Yukari was accurate. “Hehehe, this is gonna be a fun year! I can feel it!

-

-

The twins didn’t head straight home after school. They decided to stop by the local sites, especially the takoyaki stand near the station.

“Welcome back.” A voice welcomed them. It was Mitsuru. She had her eyes turned down toward a book but it felt as if she had waited for them. They waved their hellos but quickly decided to head to their rooms.

On the way up the twins passed by another resident of the dorm. He had silver hair and a band-aid resting above one eyebrow. His jacket was cooly cast over one of his shoulders. A thick aura of confidence exuded from him as his eyes remained sharp and hungry for something. He smirked at them as he passed. One of the twins found her eyes lingering a bit longer than they should have.

“I’m going out for a bit.” The silver hair said calmly. Mitsuru glanced from her book. “Didn’t you read the newspaper? There’s a lot going on.”

Mitsuru’s lips curved into a frown. “...I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome...I’ve seen it in the news quite often lately. They say it’s due to stress, but...” Mitsuru let her eyes wander. Something that seemed unsightly for a woman of her grace.

“Yeah, right.” The boy scoffed. “It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it’s not worth my time...” His voice almost seemed like a growl.

“You have a one-track mind...Will you be okay on your own?” Her voice seemed to carry a tone of worry. “The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that I can-”

The boy just waved her off. “Don’t worry. I’m just getting a little practice.” The boy smiled and his eyes flickered as if on fire. He was gone.

Mitsuru closed her book and sighed. “This isn’t a game Akihiko...” She held herself tightly. She hoped he’d be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

 

[4/8/09]

“Oh they’re back!” Yukari said waving over the twins, who had just returned from another tour of the city.

“So these are our new guest.” A tall bespectacled gentleman in a tan suit said rising from his seat. “Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school.” He said introducing himself.

“Nice to meet you I..Iku-” Minako began to introduce herself but found herself fumbling. “Ikuski...darn it.”

"Ikutsuki” The man said introducing himself again. He gave a small laugh before smiling. “Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes...” Minako smiled. Glad that he had chose not to make fun of her.

“Ikutsuki.” Minato said in response. A confident grin on his face.

“There! You’ve got it!” Ikutsuki said with a smile as he applauded Minato. Minako took the opportunity to elbow her brother in the ribs.

“Now now, play nice you two.” The chairman said gesturing to the remaining seats of the dorms living room. “Please, have a seat. There are things I’d like to discuss.”

Ikutsuki waited for everyone to settle themselves before moving onto the topic at hand. “I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations.” He spoke, a slight frown on his face. “However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment.”

“Oh it’s no trouble at all.” Minako said with an innocent smile.

“Yeah, we’ve had no problems at all.” Minato reassured him.

“That’s good.” Ikutsuki smiled, glad that they were fitting into the atmosphere so easily. “By the way is there anything you'd like to ask?”

The twins paused for a moment and exchanged a single glance as if telepathically conversing about questions they may have.

“Sorry if this sounds a little rude...” Minato spoke first. “But why are you here?” The twins found it extremely odd that the Chairman of the Board had come all the way out to their dorm personally.

“To welcome you of course!” Ikutsuki gave a bright smile. The twins didn’t buy it. “Well,” here it comes. “To be honest, I do have other business here. Speaking of which...where’s Mitsuru, Yukari.”

Yukari’s attention snapped away from her phone and to the conversation at hand. “She’s upstairs.” She said flatly before returning her attention to her phone.

“As diligent as always.” Ikutsuki smiled before sighing. “Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello... Is there anything else?”

It was now Minako’s turn. “Who else lives here?”

“There are only five students in this dorm: you two, Yukari here, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada.”

“Akihiko...” The girl mumbled, the name lingered on her tongue as she recalled the rugged silver hair they passed on the stairs.

“I hope you all get along. Any other questions?” The chairman smiled, He seemed to be a good mood and was very willing to help them with any questions they had. So Minato took the plunge.

“The other night,” He began slowly. “I saw...” Yukari shot him a glare, instantly silencing the boy.

“You saw something strange? Like what?” Ikutsuki raised a brow. But Minato remained silent, obviously he didn’t want to incur Yukari’s wrath. “You were probably just tired. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses and smiled again.

Something was wrong. This smile was different from the others. Maybe it was the was the light seemed to make his lenses flicker, but everything about it felt wrong. It seemed ominous. The twins both shivered as they exchanged frowns.

“Well then, I hope you two have a successful school year.” He said as he pushed himself to stand. “Now if you’ll excuse me...” Ikutsuki made his way toward the stairs. He paused for a moment to face the twins once more. “You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early.” There was that smile again. “As they say, ‘The early bird catches the bookworm!’” Ikutsuki chuckled to himself. “...Please forgive the bad pun.” And on that note, he was gone.

“...You'll get used to his lame jokes.” Yukari said with a heavy sigh. Her toned made them think they never would.

//

The twins eventually made their way to their respective bedrooms, tired from the days activities. It wasn’t long before they both felt themselves lulled into sleeps embrace.

Elsewhere on the highest floor of the dorm Mitsuru sat before a large control panel with a screen that depicted the twins sleeping. Yukari sat next to her, her focus just as intense.

“Working hard?” A voice called as they approached, joining the studying of the Arisato siblings. “How are they doing?”

“They went to bed a little while ago. They’re asleep now.” Mitsuru said detailing the current situation. It wasn’t much, what exactly were they waiting for? Her expression clearly read that she had a few misgivings about the situation. Yukari as well. “Mr. Chairman, do you think they’re...”

Ikutsuki shushed her. “Well, let’s wait and see for now...The Dark Hour is approaching.

The clock ticked down to midnight and the world froze. All clocks stopped moving. Anything that ran on electricity halted. People were once again transmogrified into coffins. In shadier part of Port Island a man screamed clutching his head as his body was swallowed in a black, sludge-like ooze.

“They’re still sleeping.” Ikutsuki said, a smile creeping across his face. “The Dark Hour occurs every day at 12 midnight” Ikutsuki began explaining, his smile steadily growing wider. “You could say it's the "hidden" hour. During this time, an ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs.”

“Then they must be...” Yukari turned her attention back to the screen, watching the dozing twins.

“As you can see, they retained their human form.” Ikutsuki gestured to the screen. “They’re asleep, but they’re definitely experiencing the Dark Hour.” Ikutsuki stroked his chin. “The only question that remains is whether or not they have the potential. Potential? “Although, they must...If they didn't, they would've preyed on them by now.”

The way Ikutsuki said they had a different feel. He was no longer talking about the twins, but something else. What though?

“Scary...” Yukari shivered at whatever the thought was.

“In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days.” Ikutsuki shrugged. What more could they do at the moment?

“Yes, Sir.” Mitsuru gave a seemingly half-hearted sigh.

“I feel kinda bad, though.” Yukari sighed as she glanced up at the screen. “Spying on them like this...

//

While the twins slumbered they found themselves running for something in the distance. The sprinted down what seemed like an impossibly long corridor toward something blue in the distance. As they neared their goal the blue object gave way and they sailed through what seemed like empty space. They felt weightless, be it only for a moment, but soon their feet touched solid ground.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” An eerie voice greeted.

“The wha-” Each twin responded before looking to their side. They had not seen each other in their respective dream until this moment where they stood in this overly blue room. The only thing here that wasn’t a velveteen color was the golden gate on the opposite side of the room.

However, there were more peculiarities that this room held. Like the elderly long nosed man before them. Then there was his assistants, also draped in blue, but with glowing yellow eyes.

The old mans eyes grew wide as he looked between the Arisato siblings. He gave a throaty laugh as he concealed his grin between interlocked hands. “This is peculiar indeed. Not one guest but two? My, how astounding indeed.” The old man gestured to the two chairs before him. “Please have a seat.”

The twins exchanged a worried glances as they reluctantly sat.

“My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” The man known as Igor smiled as he extended a long bony hand which the two reluctantly shook as they introduced their respective selves. “This is Elizabeth...” He gestured to his female attendant before pointing to his male attendant. “and her brother Theodore. They’re residents here, like myself.” Where exactly was here anyway?

“Pleased to meet you.” The two attendants spoke as they gave a slight bow. Their glowing eyes remained honed on the twins, their faces almost expressionless.

“This place exist between dream and reality, mind and matter. It’s been years since we’ve had a guest.” It was obvious that he was talking about this place known as the Velvet Room, but neither one of them seemed to get it.

Igor waved his hand and with a shimmer appeared a red notebook. The twins eyes grew wide as they took note of it. It was the notebook the kid made them sign...but why was it here?

“Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place...Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet room.” The two attendants pulled the strings on two poppers that released streamers into the air, their faces still relatively vacant. Just what kind of shady lease agreement had these two agreed to? “You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so.” Ability? “I only ask one thing in return...that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make.”

The twins swallowed hard and exchanged a worried glance. “W-we don’t understand.” Minako spoke, her voice shaky.

“That is fine. For now.” Igor said with a small nod. “Hold onto this.” Igor waved and twins suddenly felt something heavy in their pockets. Another wave and the twins felt themselves being pulled out of their dream. “Till we meet again...” Igor’s voice echoed in the distance.

The twins sat upright in their beds and immediately both went for their phones. They sent each other the same message; a very confused “what?” If that wasn’t enough to show them that the dream they had was more than a simple exhaustion haze they both now had a blue key sitting on their desk. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. A new day had come and with it many questions.

//

[4/9/09]

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully. The twins took in the sights one last time, now confident they had explored the most of Port Island Station by now. Exhausted by their excursion and with the thoughts of lasts nights dream heavy on their heads they found themselves sleeping again. Once again, we find a certain trio observing our favorite twins.

“How are they?” The chairman inquired.

“The same as last night.” Mitsuru said with a shrug.

“Very interesting...” Ikutsuki stroked his chin again. “Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first. Memory loss, disorientation...but neither of them have exhibited any of the common symptoms.” Ikutsuki remained focused on the screen, his eyes never leaving the twins.

“But...” Yukari began, her voice seemed delicate and somber. “We’re treating them like guinea pigs.”

“I understand your concern, but it’s imperative that we recruit new members.” Ikutsuki explained. The needs of the many seemed to outweigh the desire of the few here. “I heard they’re your classmates. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Yukari looked at the sleeping pair on screen before turning her eyes toward her lap. “But still...”

She couldn’t spend anymore time feeling guilty as a the control panel had begun to beep. Mitsuru pushed a single button among the numerous others. “Command room. Is that you, Akihiko?”

“You’re not gonna believe this.” Akihiko’s voice radioed over the the machine. “This thing is huge!” He was panting, was he running? “Unfortunately, I don’t have time to talk...It’s chasing me.” Yup, definitely running. “I wanted to let you guys know. I’m almost there.” You could almost hear the confident smirk in his voice as the transceiver cut out.

“Does that mean...” Yukari slowly mulled over Akihiko’s words. “He’s bringing that thing here?!” A look of horror swallowed Yukari’s face.”

“Mr. Chairman! Let’s suspend our observation for now. We’ll prepare for battle!” Mitsuru’s voice rose to one of authority, like a commander ready to issue orders to soldiers on the battlefield.

“R-right.” Ikutsuki was shaking. He couldn’t tell what he was more afraid of; whatever was following Akihiko or the red-haired woman in front of him. “Be careful.”

The trio rushed downstairs just in time to see Akihiko slam the door behind him.

“Akihiko!” Mitsuru said rushing over to his side as he sank to the ground with a groan of pain.

“S-senpai?!” Yukari winced hoping he was okay.

“I’m alright.” He smiled, even though he was clutching a clearly injured shoulder. “Get ready for a surprise...It’ll be here any second.” There was that smile of his, was he always this battle hungry?

“This is no time to joke around!” Mitsuru berated him, Akihiko’s smile quickly faded into a frown as he saw how worried she was for him.

“It’s one of them, Akihiko?” Ikutsuki’s voice seemed to trembled at the mention of them.

“Yes, but not an ordinary one.” Akihiko did his best to keep himself from smiling.

He didn’t have to explain further as they soon felt the ground rumbling beneath their feet.

“What the?” Yukari nearly lost her balance. What could be so huge it shook the dorm like that? “You gotta be kidding me!”

Without hesitation or losing herself to the moment Mitsuru drew the gun at her waist. “Mr. Chairmen, please head up to the command room. Takeba, go upstairs and wake them up! Then, escape out back.” Mitsuru did was she did best, remained calm and unwavering in the face of adversity. Mitsuru handed Takeba the sword at her hip, clearly meant for one of the two twins.

“But, what about you two?” Yukari looked worried as she looked between Mitsuru and the already injured Akihiko.

“We’ll stop it here.” Mitsuru said simply, a smile appearing on her lips. “You led it to us, Akihiko, so I’m afraid you’ll have to fight.”

“Like I had a choice!” He said as he rose to his feet, that glimmer returned to his eyes. “What are you waiting for, Yukari? GO!”

“I-I’m going!” Yukari turned on her heel and headed for the stairs as Mitsuru and Akihiko through open the doors, ready for battle.

//

Unknown to the three of them the twins had already been roused from their slumber. Granted who could sleep through all of that commotion. Yukari reached Minato’s room first and loudly banged on the door. “Wake up!” Her voice was panicked. “Sorry, I’m coming in!” Without hesitation she threw open the door.

“W-what’s going on?” Minato stammered, surprised by the panting girl in front of him. He got his answer in the form of another trimmer.

“I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!” Yukari said as she turned on her heels. “Wait,” She turned back to him and handed him Mitsuru’s sword, a simple fencing rapier. “Take this just in case.”

Minato studied the sword in his hand before looking back at Yukari. Why would he need this?

“Let’s go! We have to get your sister!” Yukari turned to head toward the stairs but was glad to see Minako already descending toward them. “Oh thank God...” Though they weren’t exactly close, Yukari was glad to see the other girl safe and well.

“Yukari-chan, what’s wrong?” Minako wore a worried expression as she looked between the flustered girl in pink and her brother, who was now wielding a sword.

Yukari simply shook her head. “No time.” Yukari offered something to the auburn haired girl. It was something cold, shiny and metallic. It was a gun, the same gun that Yukari had strapped to her thigh. “Just take this okay.”

Minako looked between the gun, Yukari’s stern expression and her brothers worried demeanor. “O-okay.” She said as she gripped the gun in hand.

“Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!” She said without hesitating to lead them down the stairs. “Alright, we should be safe now--”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a message coming over the transceiver in her ear. “Takeba, do you read me!?” It was Mitsuru.

“Y-yes! I hear you!”

“Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!”

“What!?” Yukari’s pulse quickened at Mitsuru’s words. Her heart nearly stopped when loud knocking came from the backdoor. “L-Let's pull back!”

Yukari was becoming more frantic as she led them back up the stairs. “What are we going to do...? They're downstairs! Do we have any choice but to go further up?” Yukari continued to talk to herself as they ascended the stairs. Her mind was racing, but it only contained one thought; keep them alive.

Something could be heard shattering beneath them. “What was that?” Minako asked as she peered over the railing and into the abyss.

“It's getting closer! K-Keep moving! Hurry!!” Yukari was having a difficult time keeping it together but she had to spur them onward. They quickly found themselves on the roof of the dorm, Yukari locked the door behind them just to be safe. “I think we’re okay for now.” Yukari let out a sigh of relief. But it was short lived relief as the ground shook again.

From the side of the room a mask peeked over the railing and the three looked on in horror as a multi-limbed creature drew blades and began to charge them.

“Those monsters... We call them Shadows!” Yukari took a defensive position as she stood in front of the twins. She reached for the gun at her thigh, but instead of turning it on the monster she turned it on herself. Her breathing was heavy. She did her best to gather herself before she pulled the trigger. Her hesitation costed her. With a quick swing the creature knocked Yukari aside and her gun skittered to the feat of Minato.

“Yukari!” Minako shouted, worried for the fallen girl.

Minato however, stared intently at the gun. Then he felt it. His pulse quickened. But it wasn’t just him. Minako could feel it too. An image of the boy they had encountered when first arrived appeared in their heads. “Go on...” They boy said quietly as he placed a finger to his head, mimicking a gun.

Minato knelt down and picked up Yukari’s gun as Minako joined him at his side, tightly gripping the gun Yukari had given to her earlier in her hand. Their heartbeats were even faster. The swallowed hard as they gave each other a nod. The beast that had attacked Yukari was now coming for them.

They both placed the gun to their heads and in unison spoke a single word. “Per...so..na.” The pulled the trigger and felt power explode out of them while their eyes glowed; Minato’s a shocking blue and Minako’s a flaming red.

The swirl of energy around them drove back the beast as two figures appeared above them.

“Thou art I, and I am thou.” The being spoke in unison. “From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings!” The two, although designed differently, addressed themselves as one in the same, though both carried the same lyre on their back.

The twins looked in awe as their power was given life but they soon found themselves plagued with a violent headache. They let out a shriek of pain and so did the beings they somed. The beings known as Orpheus exploded in a shimmer of blue sparks. The simmer were caught in a whirlwind that reformed itself into something...different. Something darker. It looked like death.

The new being roared as it pounced on the the multi-limbed creature. Pinning it down it slashed wildly at it with a long and jagged blade. The creature called a shadow had bits and pieces splatted about the rooftop and the piece that the summoned entity held onto was crushed in its grip. The monsters bloodlust subsided and it faded away, returning into the twin Orpheus from before. The Arisato sibling struggled to stay on their feet, whatever they had just done had taken it’s toll.

“Is it over...?” Yukari said struggling to her feet. As luck would have it, no. The masses of ooze seemed to come to life and charge at the pair.

“M-Minako!” The brother called as he pushed himself to stand his ground with the sword he was given.

“Right!”

The moment a shadow drew two close it found itself slashed in twain with a single stroke of Minato. The others would face the wrath of Minako as she reconjured the being from and had it set the black monstrosities aflame. The battle was short lived as the twins unison was unmatched by the shadows careless maneuvers, an easy victory.

The twins wheezed and huffed. Battered, bruised but breathing. They tried to hold on but they found themselves sinking to the ground as their world tumbled into blackness. They could almost swear they heard Yukari scream...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I have gone with the suggestion of continuing the story with Minako being further refered to a Hamuko because reading Minato/Minako is extremely confusing.)

“It’s so nice to see you again.” A familiar voice cackled. The twins looked around in confusion only to find themselves sitting in the room of blue velvet again. “You became unconscious after awakening to your ‘power.’” An eerie smile creeped across Igor’s features. “It’s nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax.”

The twins forced a laugh. Falling unconscious seemed like a lot to worry about, even it was a result of them awakening to their ‘power’. Exactly what was that power anyway? They had summoned something and then it turned into...that.

“By the way... I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling.” It was as if he had read their minds. “That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche.”

“Persona?” Hamuko let the word roll off her tongue. She remembered saying it before they had to fight those things everyone calls shadows.

“My...psyche.” Minato raised a brow. Did that mean that Orpheus was inside of him? Would that mean THAT was inside of them? He shivered at the thought.

“It may take some time to fully comprehend.” Igor said waving off their confusion. Some help this old guy turned out to be. “A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships.”

“You lost us.” The twins frowned.

“That being said, your power is still weak...” They raised a brow. Weak? That deathly figure tore that shadow to shreds. How was that weak?! “When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links--your emotional ties with others.” Was he telling him to go make friends? “The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that.” He waved them off again and the twins could feel themselves being pulled back to reality. “Now, then... Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then...Farewell.” They still had so many questions. The could barely understand what he meant!

 

[4/17/09]

 

Minato stirred from his sleep. He sat up, his mind still hazy, to find a light-chestnut haired girl dozing off next to him. The girl stirred awake from his movement and popped awake when she saw him sitting up. “Y-you’re awake!” She almost looked to be on the verge of tears. “How do you feel?”

“Where am I?” Minato asked holding his head, still a little dizzy from his dream.

“Thank goodness. You finally came to...“How much sleep do you need? It’s been a whole week!” Yukari smiled a genuine smile. She was happy. Glad to know he was awake to the point she could joke about it. “I was so worried about you...” Yukari leaned in close as she reached for his hand. Minato could feel his heartbeat quickening.

A throat was cleared with annoyance causing the two to jump. “I’m here too ya’know.” Hamuko called from a bed behind Yukari. The auburn haired girl shot Yukari a glare.

“o-oh yeah, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It’s just a short walk from the station.”

“I see...” Hamuko said sounding rather skeptical. “Why are you here?”

“Seriously?” Yukari’s jaw dropped. “You two saved my LIFE! I couldn’t just leave to here!”

Hamuko let out a defeated but silent ‘oh’. Her brother shot her an apologetic smile from behind Yukari. ‘See, she’s not that bad.’ Was what it really read.

“The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were  
just exhausted... But, you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how  
worried I was?” Yukari’s voice was shaking again. She looked down at her hand that was tightly balled into a fist on her lap. “I'm sorry I couldn't do anything...I was supposed to protect you, I...”

Minato reached out and lightly touched Yukari’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“But, your power... It was amazing.” Yukari smiled as she recounted the incident, how they had battled valiantly against an unknown enemy.

“What were those things?” Hamuko shivered as she remembered the creepily crawling monster.

“You mean the Shadows? They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used... We call it ‘Persona.’” They remembered those words, from the man in their dreams. “We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before...I, uh...” Yukari had begun to fumble over her words. She seemed nervous. “I wanted to tell you that... I'm sorta like you.”

The twins both raised a brow. “What do you mean...” Minato began.

“Like us?” Hamuko finished.

Yukari let out a heavy sigh. “My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms.”

The twins felt a sharp pain in their chest. They knew her expression all too well. The feeling of being abandoned by the world.

“You're all alone too, right? Well I mean you two have each other, but you know what I mean.” The twins smiled, not at her but each other. That was one advantage they had that most orphans didn’t. They still had someone who cared about them more than anything.

“To be honest, I already know about your guy’s past...” Okay that was weird. “But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine...” Yukari let out another sigh. They could tell that whatever it was pained her. “It was back in '99...There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened... He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group.” Suddenly her expression shifted from sorrow to something stern and cold, completely unlike the Yukari they were used to till now. “So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you.” A frown appeared on her face. “Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help...It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry... You wouldn't be going through all this if I wasn't such a coward...” A tear rolled down Yukari’s cheek and spattered the back of her hand.

In unison the twins both leaned over and touched Yukari’s hands. “It’s not your fault.” Minato said with a shake of his head.

“I was scared too.” Hamuko said with a smile.

A hint of red tugged at Yukari’s cheeks. “R-really? Still...” She pulled away from them as she stood. “And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up.” Her cheeks continued to burn red. “While I was waiting, I thought to myself, ‘I've been hiding so many things from them... As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth.’” Yukari smiled and gave them both a small nod. “So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time.” She gave them both a quick hug. “Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay?” Then she was gone. Well actually no. Yukari poked her head in once more. “Be good patients! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you.” She gave them a wink, one last wave and she was gone.

Minato waited for a moment to ensure she was gone before he shot his sister a smile. Hamuko gave an overly dramatic sigh. “Alright, she’s cute okay!”

 

[4/18/09]

 

Unfortunately even with them awake they wouldn’t be cleared until the end of yesterday. So it was another day of school missed. Hamuko grumbled and rubbed her eyes as her and Minato walked through the school gates.

“How are you still tired?” He said with a laugh. “We slept for a week.”

“I was up all night catching up on everything we missed.” She yawned. “I don’t know how you get through it all so fast.”

“Hey!” A blob of pink waved them over. “You seem to be doin’ pretty well.”

“Yeah. We’re doing okay.” Hamuko smiled. She had finally warmed up to Yukari after their moment yesterday.

“That’s good.” Yukari let out a relieved sigh. “Sorry to add to your worries but, Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm okay. Don’t forget.” Then she was gone. She seemed awfully mysterious about it.

The day passed without much cause for concern. Then came the time of the big meeting.

“There you are! I'm glad that you're okay.” The glasses wearing man from before waved them into the large room that was their command center and ushered the two of them to sit, everyone else was already gathered. “The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you.” His features appeared utterly serious before he broke character. “Before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko.” He gestured to the white haired male in the room.

“How ya doin?” Akihiko replied with a winning smile and a small salute.

“Akihiko, huh?” Hamuko in a near silent lull as her eyes flicked across him. It went almost completely unnoticed. Her brother knew her too well though.

“Let me start off by asking you this...” Ikutsuki wore his serious expression again. “Would you believe me if I said that a day consist of more than 24 hours?” The two gave a puzzled expression that marked for a unified ‘no’.

Mitsuru chuckled as she sat her tear cup down. “I’m not surprised by your reaction.” Of course not. The very concept was insane. “However, you’ve already experienced the truth firsthand.” ...What? “Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs... The streetlights went out... Nothing was working... There were coffins everywhere... Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...?” They recalled the moment she spoke of. They remembered it vividly. Their fully charged phones had suddenly died. The streets fell silent Not to mention the world was swallowed in an eerie glow. “That's the Dark Hour--a time period hidden between one day and the next.”

“Hidden?” Minato pondered attempting to wrap his head around this.

“I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of.” Normal people? So certain people can’t experience the Dark Hour? “But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night, at midnight. It’ll happen tonight, and every night to come.”

“Normal people don’t realize it.” Akihiko interjected. “Since they’re sleeping inside their coffins. But, that’s not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting. You saw those creatures.” A hungry smile spread across his face while Yukari, Mitsuru and Ikutsuki all sighed. Hamuko on the other hand shivered, but not because of the talk of shadows. “We call them ‘Shadows.’ They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin.It's our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?” His eyes seemed to gleam as he talked about combat.

“Akihiko!” Mitsuru sounded annoyed. “Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!” She seemed to berate him.

‘So that’s how it is.’ A small frown appeared on Hamuko’s face.

“Now, now. He does his work well.” The chairman tried to quiet the riot between them before he turned his attention back to the twins. “Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad--SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor.”

Hamuko made an interested cooing sound. They sounded like undercover spies.

“A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse.” Mitsuru explained. The idea unsettled them both. “They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them.”

“So how do you/we fight them?” Minato decided to cut to the chase.

“Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour.” The chairman explained. “Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's "Persona"--the power you used the other night.” The memory was still fresh in their mind, though they knew that they’d never forget. “The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys.”

“I see.” Minato said taking it all in. “Sorta like super heroes?”

“Well, yes!” Ikutsuki gave a small smile. “I’m glad you’re quick to understand.”

“What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us.” Mitsuru opened a briefcase on the table to reveal two guns like the ones from before as well as two red SEES badges. “We've prepared an Evoker for the both of you. We'd like you to lend us your strength.”

The twins looked between each of the faces. They all seemed stern and fortified as they waited for their responses, but their eyes were different. They were pleading. “Alright.” They nodded in unison.

Yukari, who had remained silent until now let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I was afraid you’d say no.”

Ikutsuki smiled. “Thank you so much. I’m really glad.” Everyone seemed so relieved at their answer. “I almost forgot, about your room assignment. Why don’t you just stay here, in your current room? I don’t know what the hold up is, but I guess it worked out in the end.” The chairman grinned.

The twins shot him a glare. That smile seemed overly forced...he couldn’t have...

“Hold up?” Yukari looked puzzled. “But wasn’t that-” The other three gave her a look. “Nevermind. It doesn’t matter anymore.” He did plan this!

/

Night fell and with it the Dark Hour. The twins would be visited again. But not by Igor, the boy from before would appear before them again, somehow simultaneously in their respective rooms. “Hi, how are you?” The boy smiled as he sat at the foot of Minato’s bed.

“How did you get in here?” Minato asked trying to hold back his fear. He was certain he locked the windows and door.

“I’m always with you...” The boy smiled again. “Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you.”

“The end?” The thought rolled off Minato’s tongue. What was ‘the end’?

“The end of everything.” The mysterious boy said flatly. “But to be honest, I don't really know what it is.” Minato frowned. Some help that was. But ‘the end of everything’ sounded like a problem. “Looks like you’ve awakened to your power...and an unusual power it is.” Was he talking about their Personas? “It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up.” The boy smiled and faded away, startling Minato, but he quickly reappeared in the center of the room. “Do you remember when we first met? I expect you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me... Okay then, see you later.” The boy disappeared but this time for good it seemed.

Minato’s phone vibrated loudly. He reached for it to see a message from his sister.

[Recieved] CREEPYYYYYYY!!! ),:

He laughed before tossing the phone aside and subcumbing to sleeps embrace.


	5. Chapter 5

[A/N]: SORRY ABOUT THE LONG HIATUS! The hiatus was initially caused due to dating issues between game guide scripts I was using to pull text from. For the time being I will try to only pull from one until I reach a point with unified dates again as it seems most of the issues seem to be between our current point and 5/1. Please bear with me at this time. If I DO miss any important events/dialogue PLEASE BRING IT UP ASAP! Thank you!

\--

[4/19/09]

Here it is. The first Sunday of the semester. Meaning the twins had survived their first week at Gekkoukan. Which means this was their first day off which in turn meant it was time to goof off...or they would have if they hadn’t needed to finally settle themselves. Between school, the attack on the dorm and sightseeing the twins hadn’t found time to actually make their dorms feel like a “home”. So the entire day ended being dedicated to opening box after box to make the room feel just right.

Minato’s was the easiest to set up. He wanted his room to be plain and simple. An orderly desk, neat bed and a few personal treasures on his book shelf. Hamuko’s room however, took much more work. She just had so much more stuff. Posters, trinkets and clothes to the point that Minato had begun to wonder where she had kept all of it with her with their constant moving.

By the time everything had been set up just the way they wanted it the sun had already fallen and with it dusk had come.

“Hey, it's me.” Yukari could be heard shouting from downstairs. “Can you two come down here?”

With exasperated sighs the two hobbled down the stairs, already drained from their day of work. They found Akihiko waiting along with Yukari.

”...Okay, they’re here now. So, what's this all about?” Yukari turned her attention to the white haired senior.

Akihiko gave his same confident smirk. “There's someone I want to introduce...Hey, hurry up.” He shouted as he threw open the doors to the dorm.

“Hold your horses...” A voice called from within the shroud of night. A small trolley stacked high with suitcases was slowly wheeled in.  “This is freakin' heavy.” A boy in a baseball cap wiped the sweat from his brow.

“J-Junpei!?” Yukari exclaimed, instantly recognizing her classmate before turning to face Akihiko. “...Why is HE here!? Wait, don't tell me--” A look of utter horror spread across the brunettes face.

“This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today.” Ahikiko said calmly as he introduced the new dorm resident and apparently the newest member of SEES.

“Wazzup?” Junpei said with a goofy laugh as she waved to the twin. He recieved a bored wave from Minato while Hamuko’s seemed significantly more excited.

“He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!” Yukari began to pace back and forth as she massaged her temples. This couldn’t be happening. It was happening. It was her worst nightmare. She didn’t have to just go to school with Junpei, she had to live with Junpei.

“I bumped into him the other night.” Akihiko explained. “He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently...I told him about us, and he agreed to help.”

“You have the potential!? For real!?” Yup. Definitely Yukari’s worse nightmare.

“He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing!” Junpei recounted the event of Akihiko and his meeting. Small smirks spread across most of their faces, trying to not laugh. Hamuko utterly failed as she let out a small giggle. “He said that's, ya know, completely normal... in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?”

“Nope.” Hamuko’s voice rung.

“Didn’t happen to us.” Minato added. They remembered everything about their time in the dark hour. Sometimes they felt it was a bit too much. The coffins. That monster called a shadow. Just what was it all?

“Big deal. It happens to everyone else.” Junpei said with a roll of his eyes. “I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right!? Havin' me join..” A wide grin spread across Junpei’s face.

The other three juniors exchanged a brief looks of mixed reactions.

“Uh, y-yeah...” Yukari said trying her best to sound welcoming.

Akihiko broke the tension as he drove his fist into his palm with an echoing smack. “Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready...” A small shiver slipped down Hamuko’s spine as she took in his cool atmosphere.

“Ooh, we're gonna go do something? Sweetness!” Junpei hopped arounded excitedly.

“With this many people, we can start exploring that place.” Akihiko’s lips curled into a smile, a look of hunger in his eyes. Minato let out a small sigh as he noticed his sister’s eyes gleaming just as bright, but for entirely different reasoning.

“You mean... Tartarus...?” Yukari spoke softly, an air of fear hung over her words.

Minato looked between Akihiko and Yukari. A look of worry on his face. Tartarus, the word itself seemed to invite gloom.

“Tartarus...? What's that? ...Sounds like toothpaste.”  Junpei spoke near seriously, breaking the level of tension.

“We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there.” Trying to clear the air of confusion.

“I hope so...” Yukari sighed.

“The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready.” With those words Akihiko walked away from his underclassman. “Get some rest.”

Everyone grimaced....except for Hamuko who seemed to be bouncing with glee.

 

[4/20/09]

 

FWAP!

Hamuko awoke with a start from the noise of something hitting her desk. “wh-wha-what?!” The sound of laughter could be heard all around her as she wiped away drool in her dreary state.

“Ms. Arisato, I had expected with your absence that you’d be much more enthusiastic about returning to my classes...and not sleeping.” Ms. Toriumi said as she hovered over the girl’s desk. “Can’t you be more like your brother?”

A quick glance at Minato showed him busily scribbling away at a book. The picture of a model student.

“I’m sorry Ms. Toriumi.” Hamuko bowed her head apologetically. “I was just up really late reading your textbook.” A half-truth. Hamuko only read the textbook after she found herself unable to sleep, much thanks to her mysterious visitor. She hoped it would help her fall asleep. It didn’t.

A sly smirk spread Toriumi’s face. “Well if you read your book as much as you say you have then tell me the name of the American author who, best known for his gothic literature, is often credited as the inventor of detective fiction.”

Hamuko frowned as she momentarily blanked. There was a blur in the corner of her eye. She noticed for a brief moment her brother held up his notebook, but only for a moment, to display a single word.

“P-Poe.” She said halfway between a statement and a question.

Toriumi raised a brow. “Repeat that? I couldn’t quite hear you.” A smug grin on her face.

“Edgar Allan Poe.” Hamuko spoke again, this time with much more confidence. “He was well known for his gothic literature, especially ‘The Raven’ and ‘The Tell Tale Heart’.”

Everyone watched as the smiled drained from Toriumi’s face. “C-correct. I see you have been studying.” A small cheer went on amongst the students. Hamuko let out a sigh of relief as she smiled, the smile directed at her brother who returned the gesture with a thumbs up. The bell rang signaling the end of classes for the day. “Remember to do problems 12-24 in your workbooks tonight!” Ms. Toriumi called over the shuffling class.

“Thanks for the save bro.” Hamuko said as she flopped down in the seat next to her brother’s desk, they weren’t able to get seats next to each other as it would have disrupted the entire order of the class. So it was simply decided that they’d permanently take the original desk of the two absent students.

“It’s what I’m here for.” He smiled back at her.

“Yeah dude, you’re like a flippin genius.” Junpei chimed in. “Ms. Toriumi didn’t even see your sly skills!”

Yukari came over to them and gave a small yawn. “I thought I was gonna fall asleep there...thankfully she noticed you before me Hamuko.”

“Yeah yeah.” Hamuko let out sigh as she flopped ungraciously onto her brother’s desk. “I barely got any sleep last night. I’m just way too excited about tonight!”

“Dude I know!” Junpei pounded his fist into his palm. “It’s going to be sweet!”

The two exchanged a quick high-five as they continued to pump each other up. Yukari could only look on in exasperation and a tinge of horror. “Oh no…there are two of them now. I could barely deal with Junpei as is.”

“I don’t think it’s so bad.” Minato on the other hand simply smiled as he took in the look of joy on his sister’s face. It was radiant like the sun and ignited a fire inside of him, a fire that told him that everything would be okay. It was that unwavering smile that had got him through some of their darkest times.

“Can I have a minute?” A familiar voice called. They knew who it was immediately. Their red haired president stood before them with arms crossed, the picture of elegance. “Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone.”

“Oh, are we having that talk?” Junpei asked, as smirk crossing his face.

“I'll save the details for later. See you there.” Without another word she turned on her heels and walked away.

“Wow, she didn't waste any time leaving...” Junpei rolled his eyes, irritated that his waiting would only be prolonged.

“She's probably busy with things like Student Council,” Yukari clicked her tongue. “Unlike us.”

“Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?”

“Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just...” Everyone’s gaze turned on Yukari eagerly awaiting her explanation. “It’s nothing! Will you guys quit staring?!” Minato chuckled as Junpei exchanged nods. “Will you stop?” Yukari stamped her foot before storming off, a red tint in her cheeks.

* * *

But now, there was no longer time for their school day antics. Evening had fallen and they were all requested to assemble in the control room.

“Okay, everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention.” Ikutsuki began, calling the meeting to order. “For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to six. Therefore...” He took a deep breath as he took in everyone’s expressions. Some confused, some nervous, even excited and other completely blank. “Starting tonight at 12:00AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus.”

“Sorry...” Junpei cut him off as he raised his hand. “I asked this yesterday, but what's this Tartarus thing again?”

“You haven't seen it, Junpei?” Yukari asked sounded rather surprised. Junpei could only shake his head.

“It's no surprise...since it only appears during the Dark Hour.” Ikutsuki reassured Jupei.

“The Dark Hour...?”

“Just like the Shadows...” Akihiko took his turn to explain. “Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest.”

Junpei’s eyes grew wide as he rolled the ides over in his head. “Their nest, huh...?”

“But, senpai...what about your injury?” Yukari spoke, a look of worry on her face as he remembered a previous night’s taxing events. They would not soon be forgotten.

“Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance.” Mitsuru explained calmly as she took a sip from her cup.

“...Yeah, I know.” Akihiko pouted as he slumped in his chair. Minato took the chance to nudge his sister who wore the same expression, discontent with what would be Akihiko’s absence.

“Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in.” Ikutsuki smiled at the white haired boy who clicked his tongue and folded his arms in defiance. ”Since we're dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid.”

“Relax, I've got your backs.” Junpei said as he huffed out his chest.

I'm not so sure about this...” Yukari grimaced. Sure there would be a few of them but she’d rather Akihiko’s help as opposed to Junpei’s.

“What about you, Mr. Chairman?” Mitsuru asked.

“I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona...” Ikutsuki said as he put his hands up defensively. He would be useless on a battlefield with shadows.

With a mix of excitement and nerve hovering over them they made their late night trek to the mysterious Tartarus. They passed by many familiar sights as they journeyed across town, yet there was no sight of the ominous tower. Instead they found themselves at a rather familiar location.

“This is is? THIS is the place? Why HERE?” Junpei’s confusion only persisted as they found themselves standing before Gekkoukan’s school gates.

“Just wait a few minutes... It's almost midnight.” Akihiko assured. Junpei shrugged but like everyone he turned his attention to his watch.

Time slowly ticked downward until midnight struck and time became no more. The dark hour had come with its usual eerie green glow, putrid puddles of blood and haunting yellow moon that hung just over head. But this time something else was brought with the dark hour. What was Gekkou high had begun to twist and turn. The building was transfixed into this distorted version of itself as it reached for the sky.

The trio that was unfamiliar with the structure swallowed hard. Maybe that had too hastily agreed to this SEES thing.

“This is Tartarus--the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour.” Mitsuru retained her elegant demeanor as they entered the towers doors.

“Labyrinth...?” Junpei was far from having an easy time taking what he just saw in. “What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?”

Even the inside of the structure was different. It didn’t even remotely resemble the school they once knew.

“Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal.” Mitsuru continued on.

“This is the ‘nest’ you were talking about!? But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?” Junpei had so many questions. He took to looking to Akihiko who simply shrugged. Junpei turned his gaze back to Mitsuru who turned her eyes downward. “You don't know, either?”

“...No.” That was a first. For a brief moment they could sense what seemed like defeat in Mitsuru’s voice.

“I'm sure it's complicated. Who cares anyway? It's not like it would  
        change our minds about fighting.” Yukari spoke drawing their attention to the task at hand, training.

“Well, maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it.” That comment raised a brow among the untrained SEES recruits, even Akihiko hadn’t actually fought the shadows that lurked in the tower. “Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour...” The senior boy seemed positively giddy over the idea.

“Akihiko. I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today.” Mitsuru patted her fellow classman on the shoulder to comfort the saddened boxer.

“I know... You don't have to remind me.” The boxer let out a sigh. Defeat was heavy in his eyes. Hamuko pouted. She wanted to reach out and hug him as if he was some sort of lost puppy.

The newer members of SEES faced the ominous tower and tried to push suppress every nerve that told them to turn around. They swallowed the lumps in the throats, resolved themselves and marched forward.

“Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside...” Junpei spoke with wonder as he dashed about the lobby of the tower.

“But, it sure is creepy…” Yukari instead nervously kept to herself, choosing to eye everything from afar.

“This is only the entrance.” Mitsuru explained before pointing to the large staircase in the center of the room. “The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs.”

“First, we'll have you four get a feel for this place.” Akihiko smiled as he took his place next to Mitsuru. “Why don't you go have a look around?”

“What!? By ourselves!?” Yukari was taken aback. She could feel a sweat breaking out across her skin. It was taking everything she had to not run out right now.

“We're not asking you to go very far,” Mitsuru explained, “and I'll be feeding you information from here.”

“Alright! Just point me at those shadows and I’ll take care of them!” Hamuko swung her spear through the air violently before briefly breaking to recover her breath.

“Don’t tire yourself out already.” Minato frowned, worried that his sisters usually exuberance would lead to terrible consequences. He received a thumbs up in response which made him smile (and sigh).

“So, you two didn't plan on coming in the first place?” Junpei asked, turning their attention back to the seniors.

Akihiko nodded. “That's right. We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions.”

“For real? ...One of us?” Junpei began to eagerly jump around and motion to himself. It was like watching a grade-schooler trying to get their teachers attention. “Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!”

Yukari and Mitsuru let out a sigh at the antic, before exchanging a quick embarrassed glance.

Akihiko simply shrugged before pointing to the twins, who were currently striking various battle poses. “Um…They're in charge.”

“What?!” They both said in unison.

“Why them!? They don’t look anything like leaders!” Junpei had a point. Between the two of them Minato was the closest to the leader type while Hamuko was the…lead the charge into battle where they were likely to get slaughtered type.

“But, the both of them have fought shadows before...” Yukari vouched for them.

“Seriously?” Junpei looked at shocked. Turning to the twins he received a simple nod from Minato but a wide grin with a peace sign from Hamuko. “C’mooooon!”

“But there's another reason. You two...” Akihiko raised his evoker to his head, his grey eyes stern as he stared the two of them down. His eyes flickered with life; there was no doubt or hesitation within him. The aura of his resolve nearly bowled them over. Hamuko resisted the urge to fan herself, but she did let an excited smile tug at her cheeks. “Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like they can?”

“Y-yeah! Of course I can!” Junpei barked but whether he had bite was yet to be seen.

“I think so,” Yukari added with a down cast gaze.

Between the two of them they didn’t have a faction of what appeared to be Sanada’s resolve.

“These are Shadows we're talking about here.” They white haired boxer tucked the evoker back into its holster. “Without your Persona, you're screwed.”

“I know that!” Yukari stamped her foot. “Geez…”

The two seniors looked between each other and smiled. They were a ragtag bunch, but they had a team. A team that they could hopefully build and train into something more.

“Then shall we go?” Mitsuru said with a smile.

The group began their walk. But two of them stopped. Hamuko tugged at her brother’s sleeve and gestured to a familiar looking velvet colored door. “…You don’t think?” They pulled the keys they had been gifted from their pockets.

“One way to find out.” Minato shrugged. They both approached the door with curiosity, exchanging one last look before Minato stuck his key into the keyhole. A familiar sensation washed over them as they felt as if they were being sucked into another world.

“I've been waiting for you,” a familiar long-nosed fellow greeted them. At his side was his ever present assistant who nodded along. “The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?”

The twins shrugged. It was a much of a mystery to them as it was to Igor.

Yet the elderly man continued on. “Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power.” A smirk crept across his face.

“The nature of our power?” Hamuko asked, her head cocked to the side in bewilderment.

“You mean the persona thing?” Minato pushed the subject.

“It leads here, although no one but you can see it.” Igor tapped a book that sat idle on his desk, he had ignored their questioning. “Your power is unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my dears, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed.”

Hamuko looked at her brother, excitement in her eyes as she gleefully swung her feet in her chair. “That’s good right? It means we can summon really cool stuff?” She had seemed to have forgotten about the danger they found themselves in the time before.

However, Igor continued on unperturbed. “My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role... the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then... Farewell.”

With another wave of his hand the mysterious man ushered them out. No longer taken by surprise the twins making sure to wave farewell to he and his assistant.

“Hey! You alright?” Yukari called as she waved a hand before their faces, the surprise nearly caused them both to fall over backwards.

“Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie.” Junpei raised a brow. His jealously from the leadership assignment had obviously also not subsided.

“Nothing.” Minato assured them. “We just opened this door and…what?” The growing looks of confusion between Junpei and Yukari made the blue haired boy stop mid-sentence.

“What door?” Yukari asked.

“Man are you loco?”

“You can’t see it?” Hamuko chimed. “It’s right here!” She pointed at the door that she could very plainly see.

The other two exchanged a look before shaking their heads. “Have you been nodding off? You seem kinda out of it.” There was a look of worry on Yukari’s face.

“You're s'posed to be our leader. Get your head in the game!” Junpei clapped the back of Minato’s back.

 “Come on, let's go.” Yukari waved, she was already ascending the staircase.

“They~ can’t see the door.” Hamuko huffed.

“Nope.” Minato sighed. “No sense worrying about it then I guess.”

The team of four ascended the staircase, weapons in hand, each a varying degree of nervous. Their heartbeats quickened with each step, just what awaited them beyond the doorway.

“So, this is it, huh...?” Junpei retained his wonder as they gazed into the labyrinth that was Tartatus.

“I hope I don't get lost...” Yukari was still more worried about their safety.

“Can you all hear me?” a familiar voice echoed into their ear pieces.

“Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?” Junpei said, immediately noticing it was Korijo.

“Loud and clear captain!” Hamuko saluted no one in particular.

“I'll be providing audio backup from here on out.”

“Wait... Ya mean, you can see inside here?” Junpei’s eyes shimmered brightly. Was there no end to Mitsuru’s capabilities?

“It's my Persona's ability. I'd like to join you,” Mitsuru explained. “But the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative.”

“Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better...” Yukari rolled her eyes, not as easily impressed by the other woman.

“Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute.” Mitsuru warned. “They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect.”

“Right!” Junpei said with a pump of his fist.

“Those shadows are going to learn not to mess with me!” Hamuko said as she once again flailed her spear.

“Got it.” Yukari said weakly. “Why is she always like that...?” The last part being in reference to Mitsuru, and a little towards Hamuko, she couldn’t understand them. Mitsuru, with her ever present demeanor of perfection. Then there was Hamuko, who at times didn’t feel like a girl at all. The brunette hoped no one had heard her muttered griping, but a single blue haired individual did but was choosing to keep the matter to himself.

“Come, on! We’re wasting time! Let’s go go go!” Hamuko was exploding with excitement, literally bouncing with it.

“Yeah you heard the lady, let’s go!” Junpei chimed as he pumped a fist into the air.

“Let's begin,” Mitsuru began with a sigh. She hoped she made the right decision of who to put in charged and that they were really ready to face the Shadows. “Keep in mind, these are real battles you'll be engaging in. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor.”

The group gave each other a readied nod, as ready as they each felt they could be. They moved forward, taking each step and corner with caution. But it wasn’t long before they encountered the monsters that lurked within these halls.

“Careful, a shadow is approaching!” Mitsuru warned them.

A gaggle of creatures that seemed to be made of black ooze slithered from the darkness. Taking note of the children they bodies quivered with something that seemed like rage and with almost unrecognizable speed they came bearing down on them.

Two hearts stopped beating, but only for a moment.

Junpei’s hart shook with a combination of worry and excitement. He was ready to face his foe, but what was it? Shadows were the most foreign to him. Could he actually fight it? Would he be able to prove Akihiko wrong?

Yukari’s heart only knew fear. She had faced Shadows before and lost. Countless times had she tried summoning her Persona, nearly, all failures. She had even failed at a time when she needed it most. It was only thanks to the twins that she was still here tonight. Her, normally deft, fingers continued to slip as they tried connecting an arrow to her bowstring. “Not now,” she silently pleaded to herself. “I can’t mess up now.”

Two other hearts beats only continued to beat as one. Every murmur in sync with every breath. There was no hesitation or room for doubt.

“ORPHEUS!” two voices cried as a roar like thunder filled the air.

The twinned Personae of their wielders manifested and with strums of their harps unleashed a sea of flame that engulfed many of the shadows. But their numbers were still coming. Not ready to back down the twins charged with their weapons raised and back-to-back.

Junpei looked on in awe at the two before shaking his head. “I can't lose to them!” Placing his evoker to his head Junpei would finally pull the trigger after a moment’s hesitation. His Persona, Hermes, was birthed into existence and with great hast it sped toard the incoming shadows on bladed wings that tore the beast asunder.

The twins took this moment to smile as they watched their friend join them in the fray, recklessly swinging his blade and nearly falling over (twice).

Yukari could feel her heart pound as she looked at the evoker in her hand. What she saw seemed so surreal and displaced to her, as if she wasn’t even there. But somewhere insdie of her wanted to be there, next to the three of them, and helping fight those things. Gripping tool tightly she whispered to herself, “Gotta be brave.” With her new found resolve the brunette’s Persona, Io, would finally appear as a woman sitting atop the visage of a cow. With a wave of Io’s hand the others were bathed in an otherworldly glow and found that the damage they had taken was slowly washed away.

“Thanks for the backup!” Minato said with a smile aimed directly at Yukari. To his immediate surprise an arrow whizzed by his cheek and sank deep into a shadows forms.

“I’m not going to let you down again.” Yukari said as she readied another arrow.

Their battle would rage on as they fought through what seemed like an ocean of shadows. Finally they would claim victory and find their objective, a transporter. With the mysterious tools aid they found themselves back in the lobby with their seniors. The two who did not take part in battle today didn’t have to ask, they could see what they felt on their juniors faces.

The twins were doubled over with exhaustion before they looked at the other and gave a sheepish smile, Hamuko throwing up the peace sign to show that she as okay.

“Man I’m beat,” Junpei said as he leaned on his sword for support.

“You can say that again.” Yukari said as repeated tugged at her shirt in a combination to fan herself and air out the sweat that she felt clinging to her. A slightly obscene gesture, maybe, but she didn’t care at this point.

“Man I’m beat!” Junpei said repeating his line and receiving an eye roll from Takeba.

“I didn’t mean literally you dunce!” Yukari glared but fining her gaze soften as Minato appeared at her side, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder.

“Couldn’t have done it without you.” He smiled at her again.

“I-it was nothing.” Yukari replied, bashful, as she looked away. It was far too early for her to admit that smile gave her a warm feeling inside, he wasn’t even a level four friend.

“No really Takeba, good work.” This bit of praise came from an unexpected source, one Mitsuru Kirijo.

“Suppose that concludes your first day of adventure.” Akihiko said with a strength. “Guess that means you’re all official one of us now.” The upperclassmen smirked as he tugged at the red sash he wore. It was something they all were currently wearing. The four new members of SEES all looked at their sashes in turn and realized that they were now part of something bigger than themselves.

TBC

YAY FOR ADLIBBING! But yes adlibbing is finally going to start becoming a much more regular thing because sticking perfectly too the script is going to be dull. But anyway I hope you enjoyed! Also, the “level four friend” thing? Had to.


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